Joe Cressy: Our New Man in Council

Joe Cressy, our new Councillor for the Central Waterfront (Ward 20 – Trinity Spadina), will stand out as young and progressive in a City Council of mostly older colleagues. He has big shoes to fill, taking over the seat of the incisive Adam Vaughan, who is now our MP. Joe won by a wide margin and was endorsed by many prominent Torontonians, including Councillor Pam McConnell in Ward 28. We expect Pam and Joe will work well together on Waterfront issues.

Joe says: “Everywhere you look, politicians seem to be lowering the bar, promising tax cuts and belt-tightening instead of building our city up.” He is ready to invest in affordable housing, public transit, childcare, clean air to breathe and water to drink. “The economic case for investment is clear: the longer you delay infrastructure repairs, and transit modernization and expansion, the more difficult and expensive it becomes to catch up in the future,” he says.

Cressy, who sits in Council as an independent, finds taxing, spending, and regulating are the core functions of government, no matter who holds office. “The difference lies in how you prioritize spending,” he says.

The Waterfront is close to Joe’s heart. He describes our neighbourhood as home to thousands of residents, millions of annual visitors, beautiful blue flag beaches and unique recreational facilities that draw Torontonians from the entire GTA.

A jet airport does not belong on the Waterfront, according to Joe. “Waterfront revitalization is a priority for our city and is not compatible with jets or expansion of the Island Airport.”